The Effects of Perceptions of Illness on Anxiety Specific to Surgery Levels of Patients Who Are Planned for Open Heart Surgery: A Descriptive and Correlational Study from Turkey

Objective:To determine the effect of illness perception on surgery-specific anxiety levels among patients scheduled for open heart surgery. Method:This study was conducted as a descriptive and correlational study in the cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit and ward of a university hospital in the capital city of Turkey in 2022. The study data were collected through the personal information form, illness perception questionnaire (IPQ), and anxiety specific to surgery questionnaire. The study sample consisted of 92 patients who met the research criteria. T-tests, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and regression tests were used in the analysis of the study. Results:The timeline (acute/chronic), consequence, and uncontrolled bodily attributions of IPQ positively affect surgery-specific anxiety (beta=0.429; beta=0.178; beta=0.246; p=0.05). 63.7% of the variation in the IPQ is explained by these dimensions. Conclusion:There was a positive and significant relationship between patients’ perceptions of illness and surgery-specific anxiety levels. It is important for nurses to evaluate patients’ perceptions of their preoperative illness and anxiety. More effective support can be provided by focusing on individual perceptions and anxiety levels of patients during presurgical counseling.